What is BioGeoSCAPES, and what are its vision and goals?

BioGeoSCAPES is an international science program endorsed by the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) that seeks to understand how nutrient cycles and biogeochemistry shape ocean metabolisms, and how these interconnected processes vary across space and time. Ocean metabolism—chemical processes within organisms that scale to communities and ecosystems—is central to this effort across ocean biomes. Ocean metabolism underpins the health of the ocean and its ability to support society through food security, livelihoods, the processing of pollutants, and the provision of marine resources. By improving our understanding of these processes, BioGeoSCAPES will help us predict how these benefits may change.

The vision for BioGeoSCAPES is to achieve an integrated and predictive understanding of the global ocean metabolism and its role in shaping biogeochemical cycles and climate, empowering society to better address the impacts of global change. (Figure ES.1). To execute this vision, BioGeoSCAPES’s mission is to measure the global distribution of marine microbes and chemical drivers (States), quantify the microbial metabolisms regulating planetary nutrient cycles (Rates), and integrate these insights, using next-generation biogeochemical models to deliver the predictive capabilities required to forecast ecosystem resilience in a rapidly changing planet (Fates).

The BioGeoSCAPES Program is international and interdisciplinary, encompassing oceanic expeditions covering large areas throughout all ocean basins, localized spatial studies of key regional and coastal ecosystems including process and time-series studies, laboratory experiments, and modeling and informatics research

Who is the BioGeoSCAPES community?

We are an international, multidisciplinary network of early career to senior scientists, including observationalists, experimentalists and modelers. Our community seeks to understand how microbial metabolisms shape ocean biogeochemical cycles and how these interconnected processes respond to environmental change. We are an open community, and we welcome engagement and new participation. Learn more and connect with BioGeoSCAPES leadership, national ambassadors, and other members of our community, and check back soon for the project registration and community networking tools, which are currently in development.  

Why BioGeoSCAPES, and why now?

The vision for BioGeoSCAPES is to achieve an integrated and predictive understanding of the global ocean metabolism and its role in shaping biogeochemical cycles and climate, empowering society to better address the impacts of global change. Current approaches lack the coordinated workflow and holistic view needed for this, particularly in terms of integrating rates across timescales as required to observe and understand  the ocean ecosystem responses to environmental change on a planetary scale.

With climate change and human activities profoundly impacting the planet, and in particular the ocean, there is an increased urgency to understand how marine microbial communities function, are regulated, and ultimately drive elemental cycling on Earth. Humans are also accelerating the use of ocean resources and potential products, with increasing fishing, mineral extraction and carbon dioxide removal activities. The ocean also harbors a tremendous breadth of genetic diversity, offering opportunities for the discovery of novel genes and metabolic pathways that can lead to new cures for human diseases, alternative energy sources, and other biotechnological advances. Achieving a sustainable use of the ocean will require an understanding of the functioning of marine microbes and ecosystems, as well as effective ocean management.

What makes BioGeoSCAPES unique?

The BioGeoSCAPES program operates on a hub model with integration as its core differentiator, creating added value through interoperability, case-study-driven science, leadership in protocol standardization, strong community incentives, and a globally connected and inclusive research framework (See Box ES 1 on page 4 of the Science Plan). 

Which countries participate in BioGeoSCAPES?

We encourage participation from interested scientists in any and all nations. You can explore our community by visiting www.biogeoscapes.org/community. If your country does not yet have a National Ambassador, please contact us at ipo@biogeoscapes.org.

How long will BioGeoSCAPES run?

BioGeoSCAPES has developed a ten-year implementation plan for 2026–2035, designed to establish the collaborations, infrastructure, and scientific foundations needed to sustain and advance this work well beyond the next decade.

What is happening in BioGeoSCAPES now, and what has happened recently?

Visit the BioGeoSCAPES Activities page to explore current and upcoming activities and highlights from recent events.

Is BioGeoSCAPES involved in policy, conservation and climate mitigation?

BioGeoSCAPES aims to advance understanding of ocean metabolism and its role in biogeochemical cycles and climate. The resulting knowledge and data can inform decisions relevant to ocean health, food security, conservation, marine resources, and responses to environmental change. While the program does not prescribe policy or implement conservation and climate mitigation measures, its scientific outcomes may help inform these efforts.

What is the difference between rates and biogeochemistry?

The program has found it useful to distinguish between concentrations of molecules in the ocean (which we group together as ‘biogeochemistry’) and measurements of molecular fluxes over time (‘rates’). Biologically-driven rates are particularly challenging to measure and harmonize because they depend inherently on the biological communities present, which are difficult to replicate across studies. Moreover, key metabolic processes such as primary production are often measured using multiple approaches, making it essential to characterize methodological differences and establish robust standards for integrating rate measurements across studies. This harmonization is critical for developing a truly global understanding of ocean metabolism based on observations generated by diverse research groups.

How is BioGeoSCAPES organized and governed?

BioGeoSCAPES is an international research program endorsed by the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) in 2026, with oversight provided by the Scientific Steering Committee (SSC). Standing committees and working groups advance priorities in standardization and intercalibration, data synthesis and modeling, project registration and connectivity, data discovery and informatics, and education and outreach. The international program office (IPO) coordinates day-to-day activities and supports collaboration across these groups and the broader international community.

Who sponsors BioGeoSCAPES, and how is it funded?

BioGeoSCAPES grew from a volunteer network of scientists with shared interests in marine microbial metabolism and ocean biogeochemistry. In 2022, a U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) AccelNet grant provided support for international networking and program development, helping this community build a foundation for coordinated research. BioGeoSCAPES will advance as a bottom-up effort, with researchers pursuing multiple funding streams to support projects aligned with the program’s shared scientific goals.

Who can participate, and how do I become involved?

BioGeoSCAPES welcomes anyone interested in the programs’ scientific objectives. Individuals are encouraged to connect with their national ambassador [www.biogeoscapes.org/community] to meet like-minded colleagues in their country and to explore opportunities to volunteer for BioGeoSCAPES committees and working groups. A networking database and project registration portal are currently in development and will soon provide additional ways to engage. The networking database will help individuals identify themselves to the community, connect with colleagues, and receive the BioGeoSCAPES newsletter and program announcements. The registration portal will enable researchers to register relevant projects and associated datasets, supporting coordination and collaboration across the program.

What are the benefits of participating in BioGeoSCAPES?

Participating in BioGeoSCAPES offers opportunities to connect with an international research community, build interdisciplinary collaborations, engage in training and capacity building, and share knowledge, data, materials, and analytical standards. Participants can also help shape the program by contributing their expertise, identifying shared priorities, and supporting efforts to understand ocean metabolism and its role in biogeochemical cycles.

When should I engage with BioGeoSCAPES during my project?

You can engage with BioGeoSCAPES at any stage of your project, from initial conception through publication. Early engagement can help you identify collaborators with complementary expertise, develop ideas through webinars and forums, and connect your work with BioGeoSCAPES scientific objectives (see Figures 5.1 and 5.2).

Contact the International Project Office (IPO) at ipo@biogeoscapes.net to request a letter of support for a funding proposal or cruise endorsement, share opportunities such as available cruise berths, or suggest research highlights for the website and newsletter. Once available, the networking database and project registration portal will offer additional ways to connect with colleagues and share your work.

How can I find collaborators or expertise that my project lacks?

The BioGeoSCAPES networking database and project registration portal are currently under development and will soon help you identify potential collaborators, find complementary expertise, and discover related research. In the meantime, contact the International Project Office (IPO) for help connecting with colleagues whose expertise aligns with your project’s needs.

My country or institution has relatively few resources. Can I still be involved?

Yes, as long as you fulfill research objectives outlined in the Science Plan, you are welcome to join. We suggest starting with visiting the BioGeoSCAPES website where you can scroll to the bottom to sign up for our newsletter. A project registration portal and community networking database are currently in development to help researchers, including those in countries with limited research resources, make their work visible, identify collaborators with complementary expertise, and connect with skills and resources that can strengthen their ongoing research.

How can I keep up to date and find BioGeoSCAPES online?

First step, sign up for the electronic newsletter, check upcoming opportunities on the website.  Follow us on social media (Bluesky, YouTube) and connect with the International Program Office (ipo@biogeoscapes.net).

How can I find activities and a national contact person in my country?

Visit the Community page of the BioGeoSCAPES website and reach out to your National Ambassador or contact the IPO for additional information. 

How do I become a National Ambassador or form a national group?

Check the current National Ambassador list. If your country is not listed, please reach out to the IPO (ipo@biogeoscapes.net) about becoming a National Ambassador for your nation. 

How can I join a committee or working group, or get involved in leadership?

To express interest in joining a BioGeoSCAPES committee or working group, please complete the self-nomination form. This adds you to a pool of researchers whom co-chairs will consider as positions become available. Members will be selected to bring the expertise and experience needed to advance committee and working group objectives, while balancing representation across career stages, geographic regions, and disciplines. For questions about participation or leadership opportunities, please contact the International Project Office (IPO).

I am an early-career researcher or new to BioGeoSCAPES research. How can I get involved?

Reading the Science Plan is a great way to get acquainted with BioGeoSCAPES research. Signing up for the newsletter is also an excellent way to learn about current BioGeoSCAPES activities. If you are ready to play a more active role, you can self-nominate to our committee member pool for future consideration. You can also contact the IPO by email at ipo@biogeoscapes.net. 

What opportunities are available for early-career researchers, and are BioGeoSCAPES Fellowships still available?

With generous support from an NSF AccelNet grant, BioGeoSCAPES supported two cohorts of its Fellows Program, connecting early-career researchers internationally through collaborative projects, laboratory exchanges, and professional development. No additional cohorts are currently planned, and funding for future fellowships has not yet been secured.

BioGeoSCAPES continues to develop training and capacity development opportunities that build the skills and connections needed for new collaborations. The networking database and project registration portal, currently under development, will help support this coordination. We also prioritize early-career participation at all levels of the program, including committees, working groups, and governance, to cultivate current and future BioGeoSCAPES leaders.

What training opportunities are available to learn the methods and techniques used in BioGeoSCAPES research, and how can I apply?

Stay tuned for training activities and opportunities by regularly visiting the BGS website and joining the mailing list.

Can BioGeoSCAPES facilitate laboratory exchanges or graduate studies in other countries?

We currently do not provide funding for these opportunities but we are happy to connect researchers that might benefit from a lab exchange. 

What scientific questions and projects fit within BioGeoSCAPES?

BioGeoSCAPES welcomes field, laboratory, modeling, and computational studies that advance understanding of ocean metabolism and address one or more of the program’s scientific objectives. The program seeks to understand how microbial communities and their activities shape ocean biogeochemical cycles and respond to environmental change. Projects should aspire to integrate complementary tools and approaches (field observations, laboratory experiments, models) from start to finish to achieve improved understanding of one or more ocean metabolisms within the States, Rates, and Fates framework (see Research Chapters in Science Plan: 2 through 4).  

Ideally, observational studies will aspire to measure concurrently parameters of interest within each of these three broad categories (rates/omics/biogeochemistry). All field studies should aim to connect microbial metabolic processes to biogeochemical cycles, becoming a “Flagship” field study. If a field-based study is only able to measure parameters from 2 of the 3 categories, it will be considered a “Contributing” field study.

Laboratory studies enable controlled experimental conditions in which to understand how organisms interact with their biogeochemical surroundings, providing much needed context for observational and modeling activities. Laboratory studies may focus on understanding ocean metabolism by addressing specific BioGeoSCAPES scientific objectives, and are not necessarily required to measure parameters of interest within each of these three broad categories (rates/omics/biogeochemistry).

Models are powerful tools for informing laboratory experiments and observing efforts, learning more about the processes driving ocean metabolisms, and predicting future metabolisms and ecosystem states. Modeling studies can be used to integrate novel biological data with experimental and observational data and disentangle the impact of short- and long-term alterations to marine ecosystems. BioGeoSCAPES modeling efforts can create the next generation of models to gain a mechanistic understanding of ocean metabolisms, as well as provide insights into the acclimation and adaptation strategies of key marine microorganisms.

To explore how your project fits, see the research questions in Appendix A and the Implementation chapter of the Science Plan (pages 88–94), particularly Figure 5.2 on page 92.

My ocean metabolism is not in the Science Plan. Can I still be involved?

The Science Plan includes many examples of ocean metabolisms, but there will certainly be additional metabolisms of interest. Currently the registration and networking sites under development are organized by elemental cycles and an ‘others’ category.  Please contact the IPO (ipo@biogeoscapes.net) if you would like further clarification. 

How and why should I register my project, cruise, or field campaign, and what does registration mean?

A registration portal is currently in development and will soon be available on the BioGeoSCAPES website, along with instructions for registering your project, cruise, or field campaign. Registration will help increase the visibility of your work and support collaboration, networking, and outreach. You will be able to choose whether your registration details are publicly visible or kept private and update them at any time.

Can past and planned projects be registered?

Yes, we encourage registration of past and planned projects that fulfill BioGeoSCAPES scientific objectives (Appendix A) and meet metadata criteria. The project registration portal is currently under development and will soon be available on the BioGeoSCAPES website.

Where can I find representative studies, registered projects, or overlapping research efforts?

The BioGeoSCAPES project registration portal is currently under development and will soon be available on our website to help you discover representative studies, registered projects, and related research efforts.

How can I join a BioGeoSCAPES study, field campaign, or cruise?

BioGeoSCAPES connects researchers through an international network to help identify opportunities to participate in studies, field campaigns, and cruises. A networking database and project registration portal are currently under development and will soon help researchers connect with colleagues and discover relevant projects. Opportunities will also be shared through BioGeoSCAPES forums, the newsletter, email list, and members of the Scientific Steering Committee and relevant standing committees.

I can collect extra samples or offer cruise berths. How can I promote this opportunity through BioGeoSCAPES?

Please contact the BioGeoSCAPES International Project Office (IPO) at ipo@biogeoscapes.net  with details of your sampling opportunity or available cruise berths so we can help share the opportunity with the community and connect you with interested researchers.

Are samples from BioGeoSCAPES projects available to other researchers?

Sample availability will depend on the individual project. Once development is complete, we hope the BioGeoSCAPES project registration portal and networking database will help researchers identify opportunities to share samples and connect with potential collaborators.

Can BioGeoSCAPES fund my research, and what other support is available?

BioGeoSCAPES does not provide direct research funding but can offer letters of support and help researchers connect with collaborators, relevant data, training opportunities, and resources for measurement standards and best practices. The program supports cross-disciplinary exchange and collaboration, while continuing to seek resources for the International Project Office, training and capacity building, measurement standards, data management, and community networking.

I am writing a grant involving BioGeoSCAPES ideas. How can I obtain support or a letter of endorsement?

We welcome grant submissions that mention the BioGeoSCAPES program, and are happy to provide a letter of endorsement from the BioGeoSCAPES international program office (IPO) (ipo@biogeoscapes.net). 

Will BioGeoSCAPES provide recommended protocols?

Yes. BioGeoSCAPES will provide recommended protocols to support comparable measurements and interoperable datasets. Following these protocols is strongly encouraged but is not required to contribute data, provided that appropriate, well-documented metadata and relevant standards measurements are included.

Is BioGeoSCAPES a data repository?

BioGeoSCAPES doesn’t host data, but does encourage registration of metadata associated with field projects, laboratory studies, and modeling projects. This includes providing links to the domain-specific (e.g., EBI, NCBI, ProteomeXchange) or national repositories (e.g., BODC), as required by users’ funding agencies or institutions.

What are the expectations for data sharing and publications, and what will BioGeoSCAPES do with my data?

BioGeoSCAPES has developed a Data Sharing Philosophy that promotes scientific collaboration and responsible data sharing. A draft data policy is currently in development for rollout alongside the project registration portal and networking database. It will clarify expectations for data sharing and publications, explain how information submitted through these tools will be used, and address applicable data protection requirements across all nations represented in the BioGeoSCAPES community.

Are there BioGeoSCAPES data products I can use?

Not yet, but developing omics, rates, and biogeochemical synthesis products are a goal of the program. Moreover, the registration site, metadata standards, analytical standards, and best practices together are intended to provide a cohesive, interoperable, federated metadata product that will enable and encourage reuse of the interdisciplinary and co-located data that BioGeoSCAPES creates. 

Where can I find metadata templates?

Developing metadata reporting templates will be a key focus of the BioGeoSCAPES working groups and relevant standing committees during Year 1 (2027). Templates will cover distinct data types, including omics methods (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics), biogeochemical measurements, and rate measurements. They will be made available through the BioGeoSCAPES website as they are finalized.

What does interoperable mean?

In this context, we define interoperable as the ability to combine multiple datasets or datatypes. We consider two facets of interoperability, technical interoperability, where data types are sufficiently distinguished from each other by parameter vocabularies, contextually by spatial and temporal metadata (e.g. location, depth, time) and sampling metadata (e.g. filter sizes); and scientific interoperability referring to the ability of colocated parameters to be selected and resulting datasets to be sufficient intellectual scope as to answer specific ocean metabolism questions.

How can I find who collected field data for a specific parameter?

You can submit a request to the International Program Office, to be shared with the BioGeoSCAPES Network.